Speaking-tube



(No Model.)

J. GORRIS.

SPEAKING TUBE.

No. 339,639. Patented Apr. 13, 1886.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES GORRIS, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO.

SPEAKING-TUBE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 339,639, dated April 13, 1886.

Application filed April 1, 1885.

To ctZZ 1071,0772 it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JAMES GORRIS, of Cleveland, in the county of Guyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Speaking-Tubes, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to speaking-tubes or tubular speaking-telephones; and it consists of a mechanism constructed, combined, and operating substantially as hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a front elevation, having a portion of the front casing broken out to show interior arrangement of the tubes and valves. Fig. 2 is a vertical section through one of the vertical tubes and cross connecting tube, .valve and valve-chamber and whistle. Fig. 3 is a front elevation of one of the vertical tul)es,showing its connection with the cross-tube and slide covering the whistle-opening.

A A represent a series of vertical tubes leading from as many rooms. Said tubes are united at their lower ends to one common cross-tube, B, in the central part of which is attached a mouth-piece, O. The interiors of these said tubes are made uniform in size, and when open or communicating with one another are entirely free from any obstructions, so that the sound has perfectly free course and is distinctly heard throughout their entire length.

The great objections heretofore existing in this class of speaking-tubes has been the obstructions in their interiors, caused by having some of the valve or other mechanisms located within the interior surfaces of the tubes. These objections are entirely overcome by my improvements, as will be readily seen from the following description.

D D are short branch-tubes forming side chambers,through which the valve and valvemechanisms are operated. Said tubes are located just above the junction of the said vertical tubes with the cross-tube, and they extend into the front wall of the casing M.

E E are circular valve-plates closing the connection of the vertical tubes with the crosstube, and are hinged to the front sides adjacent to the aforesaid side chambers, so that when said valves are raised they rest fairly Serial No. 160,963. (No model.)

within the said chambers and leave the tubes Aperfectly clear of obstructions. The outer ends of the tubes D are covered with caps FF, through which play the draw-rods G, having knobs at their outer ends, upon which are placed numbers for designating them. Said rods have ajoint in them, and are attached to the central part of the aforesaid valves, by means of which said valves are operated. Above said chambers D are located whistletubes H H, connected with the said vertical tubes. They extend through the casing, and are provided with lids Lhinged at' their lower sides, which serve as indicators by falling, whenever the whistle-signal sounds, the force ofthe wind blowing them down.

J J are slides used for covering the whistletubes, and are operated, in conjunction with the said valves, by the aforesaid draw-rods G. Said sliding covers ride in grooved waysjj on the outer surface of the vertical tubes A A, and are connected with the draw-rods G by connecting-rods g, and are thus moved up and down at the same time that the valves are turned. Said slides have holes 0,which,when they are down, come in line with the whistletubes, thereby leaving said tubes open, ready to sound the signal-call by the wind passing through the whistles '10.

The operation of this apparatus is as follows: Supposing No. 4- wants to talk to No. 2, this isindicatcd by the whistle in tube at sounding, at the same time the lid to No. A drop pin The attendant then listens at the mouthpiece for the number called by Ho. 4, which is No. 2. The attendant ascertains this by drawing out the knob of No. 4-, thus opening communication with cross-tube B, so that he can hear the voice of No. 4. He then draws out the No. 2 knob, thus putting No. 2 in communication with No. 4. XVhen the conversation ceases, the said knobs are again pushed in, again shutting down the valves and opening the whistle-tubes.

Having described my invention, I claim 1. The combination, with a series of tubes, as A, connecting with a tube, as 13, common to all such tubes, and each having a chamber, D, of a series of valves, E, hinged one at the junction of each chamber D with its tube A, and arranged to be forced upon its seat to cut IOU off communication of the tube A with the tube B, or to be folded within its chamber D, to leave the tube clear, and means, as G,operating through said chambers,as and for the purposes set forth.

2. The combination, with a speaking-tube having a whistle-port, and a valve, as E, of a perforated slide operating over said whistleport, and connections between said slide and the valve-operating mechanism, arranged as described, whereby the location of the valve will automatically determine the desired position of the slide to cover or uncover the whistle-port, as set forth.

3. The combination, with the tubes A and whistle-ports H, and with the cross-tube B and valves 13, of the slides J, the valve-operating rods G, and the links 9, connecting said rods wit-h the said slides J, all arrangedfor joint andautomatic operation, as set forth.

JAMES GORRIS.

\Vitnesses:

- GEo. W. TIBBITTS,

F. R. TIBBI'ITS. 

